Ballard County, Kentucky

GEOLOGIC HAZARDS

There are many concealed faults located throughout Ballard County. Currently there is no evidence that these faults are active. However, because of the proximity of Ballard County to the New Madrid Seismic Zone strong earthquake activity is a possibility. Soil creep, slumps, and landslides occurring along steep slopes may occur from erosion, or ground motion associated with a strong earthquake.

Areas associated with saturated alluvium are subject to liquefaction during a strong earthquake. Alluvium deposits are also subject to flooding. Soils derived from alluvium deposits have a moderate to high shrink swell capacity, which may affect structural foundations and roads. Flood information is available from the Kentucky Division of Water, Flood Plain Management Branch, www.water.ky.gov/floods/

In an attempt to control flooding within the Mayfield Creek watershed, the Mayfield Creek Dredged Ditch was constructed in the early 1950’s. The project was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Carlisle, Ballard, Graves, and McCracken Fiscal Courts. Photo by Glynn Beck, Kentucky Geological Survey.

A typical way to control gully erosion, common in Ballard County, is to construct a grassed waterway with a rock chute outlet. Funding for this structure was provided by the Environmental Quality Incentives Program through the U.S. Department of Agricultural--Natural Resources Conservation Service. Photo by Glynn Beck, Kentucky Geological Survey.

EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS

Peak ground acceleration at the top of rock that will probably occur in the next 500 years in Kentucky

Although we do not know when and where the next major earthquake will occur, we do know that an earthquake will cause damage. Damage severity depends on many factors, such as earthquake magnitude, the distance from the epicenter, and local geology. Information on earthquake effects is obtained by monitoring earthquakes and performing research. Such information is vital for earthquake hazard mitigation and risk reduction.

The most important information for seismic-hazard mitigation and risk reduction is ground-motion hazard. One way of predicting ground-motion hazard is by determining the peak ground acceleration (PGA) that may occur in a particular timeframe. The map above shows the PGA at the top of bedrock that will likely occur within the next 500 years in Kentucky (Street and others, 1996). It shows, as expected, that PGA would be greatest in far western Kentucky near the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Ground-motion hazard maps for the central United States and other areas are available from the U.S. Geological Survey. These maps are used to set general policies on mitigating damage. For example, maps produced by the USGS in 1996 were used to determine seismic design in building codes. For additional information pertaining to earthquake hazards visit the Kentucky Geological Survey website at www.uky.edu/KGS/geologichazards/geologichazards.html

GROUNDWATER

Abundant quantities of groundwater are available for domestic, irrigation, and industrial uses in Ballard County from depths of a few feet down to 600 feet. Depth to groundwater is generally under 100 feet except in the uplands of southern Ballard County, where sufficient ground water is obtained at depths greater than 100 feet.

Water from alluvium is generally hard to very hard. Water quality generally is good except in areas where downward percolation of surface water and fluids from domestic sewage-disposal systems, and other sources of domestic or industrial pollution have contaminated the aquifer. Water from deeper zones may contain objectionable amounts of iron and manganese. In some formations with slightly acidic ground-water, a chemical reaction between the acidic ground-water and steel well casing and pump equipment will produce a high iron content in the water which is not naturally occurring. For more information on groundwater in the county, see Carey and Stickney (2001).

THE LAND

The confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. This photo was taken at Fort Defiance State Park, Illinois, looking southeast toward the city of Wickliffe in Ballard County. Photo by Glynn Beck, Kentucky Geological Survey.

Pictured above are the Ohio River, the Ky. 51 bridge (foreground), and the Illinois Central Railroad bridge (background); major methods of transportation that are vital to Ballard County. Photo by Glynn Beck, Kentucky Geological Survey.

One of the many cypress swamps in the Ballard Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The Ballard WMA is located in the western-most part of the Wabash-Ohio Bottomlands Ecoregion (Woods and others, 2002). Photo by Glynn Beck, Kentucky Geological Survey.

The Graves and Sons’ Dairy is one of three active dairies in Ballard County. During the 1960’s and ‘70’s, there were approximately 100 active dairies in the county, but falling milk prices forced them to close. Photo by Glynn Beck, Kentucky Geological Survey.

RESOURCES

The MeadWestvaco fine papers mill, just south of Wickliffe, was constructed in 1970. MeadWestvaco is a major employer in Ballard County and uses the surrounding river bottoms for tree farming. Photo by Glynn Beck, Kentucky Geological Survey.